Published : Aug. 11, 2015 - 21:38
A total of 257 independence fighters, including 10 foreigners, will be posthumously honored for their dedication to Korea’s liberation from the 1910-1945 colonial rule of Japan, the government said Tuesday.
To mark the 70th anniversary of the Aug. 15 Liberation Day, medals and presidential commendations will be presented to the surviving family members of the independence patriots at commemoration ceremonies held in Seoul and other cities Saturday, according to Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs.
The granddaughter of late patriot Ahn Won-kyu offers flowers to honor him at his grave in Daejeon National Cemetery, Tuesday, along with other descendants of independence fighters living overseas. (Yonhap)
The list of patriots includes the late Jeon Byung-hyeon, who fought against Japanese rule in many areas of China, Manchuria and the maritime area of Siberia. Born in Suncheon, South Pyongan Province, in what is now North Korea, he tried to bring various groups of independence fighters scattered around the northeast Asia regions together under the control of the Korean Provisional Government, which was then located in Shanghai, China. Jeon also secretly manufactured bombs to stage attacks against Japanese institutions and leaders, said the government agency. In honor of his contribution, Jeon will be awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation, the nation’s most prestigious civil decoration, it added.
The government will also award 10 foreigners, including the late Rev. Floyd W. Tomkins, who risked their lives in supporting Koreans’ resistance against Japan’s brutal oppression.
In 1920, Tomkins, an American Christian preacher, bravely sent a letter to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson urging him to support Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation. In 1923, he also delivered another letter to the U.S. government in protest of Japan killing thousands of Koreans after the Great Kanto earthquake. Japan held ethnic Koreans accountable for causing social chaos after the 7.9-magnitude earthquake devastated Tokyo, Yokohama and other surrounding prefectures.
The patriot ministry has been searching for traces of independence fighters whose legacies have remained unknown for years, based on the documents of trials held during the Japanese occupation, classified papers and media reports of the time. Since 1949, the government has awarded about 14,000 in recognition of their sacrifices for the nation’s liberation.
By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)